Psychometric Properties of the Polish Version of the Parental Feelings Inventory.

Dominika Fijałkowska,Eleonora Bielawska-Batorowicz

doi:10.3390/ijerph18116003

Abstract

Previous reports from international literature have emphasized the specific nature of the feelings experienced by parents related to their role, differentiating them from other emotional states. Researchers highlighted the role of parental emotions in parent–child interaction and child development. The aim of the present study was to create the Polish version of the Parental Feelings Inventory (PFI), which is a rating scale designed to determine parental emotions within the parenting role, and to assess its psychometric properties. The participants included 191 parents (102 mothers and 89 fathers) aged 22 to 55 years (M = 37.18, SD = 6.85), both parents of healthy children and those of children with chronic diseases or disabilities. All participants completed the translated PFI questionnaire, Parental Attitude Scale (SPR), SUPIN S20 and SUPIN C20. The results support a three-factor solution (Angry, Happy, and Anxious/Sad) and a structure of 22 items for the PFI. The internal consistency for the complete scale was α = 0.78 for mothers and α = 0.76 for fathers. Cronbach’s α coefficients for individual factors for the Polish version were good: all above 0.80. The Polish PFI correlated with measures of parental attitudes and positive/negative affect; in addition, the Polish version confirms the basic psychometric criteria of the original and yields the same results. Therefore, the Polish version of the PFI is a valid and reliable tool for measuring parental feelings and can be successfully used as a measure of emotional experiences in the parenting role.

Highlights

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Given that parenting presents a variety of environmental stimuli and stressors [3], understanding how emotions may vary across caregiving and non-caregiving contexts is an important area of inquiry
As parents are responsible for managing both their own emotions and those of their children, parental emotions are complex and have an effect on the well-being of both parent and child [6]

Summary

Introduction

Given that parenting presents a variety of environmental stimuli and stressors [3], understanding how emotions may vary across caregiving and non-caregiving contexts is an important area of inquiry. Eisenberg and colleagues’ [7] model of parental socialization of emotion gives primary significance to the impact of parents’ emotional expressions and behaviors on their children’s development of emotional competence and well-being. The model suggests that parents’ emotion socialization behaviors (ESBs), their expression of emotions and their reactions to children’s emotions, have a direct impact on children’s emotional arousal and learning about emotions. The model indicates other processes influencing emotion socialization, assigning a important role (as both a predictor of ESBs and a moderator of the relation between ESBs and socialization) to the parenting style (e.g., warmth, hostility, permissiveness, etc.) [7,8]

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Discussion

Conclusion